I miss the low profile hotels that were the 50's. Still enjoy the town though.

Anyone remember an Italian restaurant on Charlston near Las Vegas blvd. The owners name was Pasqueli. I think he later moved the restaurant to Paradise blvd.

Guess I'm a little older but I always remember the Orange
Julius stand. It was in just a house on Fremont street..I think about 4th street. I worked at Coronet's and also Woolworths and spent a lot of money at the El Portal Theater on Fremont and the Palace, wasn't it on 2nd street by the court house.
Graduated from LV High 1950. Remember the Malt Shop.We lived in the Biltmore Addition and them moved to Huntridge. Remember the building they didn't finish next to the theater that we used as a roller rink.

Wonderful! I grew up in Vegas but moved to Massachusetts in 1978. This website is a great trip down memory lane. Thanks so much. My dad bought a piece of bare desert on Eastern Avenue in the early 60s (when it was a dirt road) and built Paradise Memorial Gardens. In the early days, he would call air traffic control at McCarran to divert the planes when a funeral was being conducted (since they flew right over to land). In the 70s he built the distinctive round mortuary, Paradise Valley Chapel. The name has since changed and the signature four-spire fountain is long gone, but presumably the "tenants" remain.

Does anyone remember a place called Hamburger Hamlet that was in the Charleston Mall? It was not fast food, but a theme restaurant, very dark, Tudor-like, with tablecloths, goblets, and specialty burgers served on silver trays.

Don't forget the West Hills Bowling Lanes across from Arizona Charlie's and the Charleston Height's Bowling Alley where Arizona Charlie's is. There was a miniature golf with the superslide and they painted the elephant pink one year. Don't forget Nifty's Drive-In on Charleston by the old Redrock Theaters (gone too!). Clint Eastwood filmed a movie there and my dad has lots of pictures with Clint Eastwood from it. Started with the Hilltop House Supper Club (thanks to Clark County who wouldn't grandfather us in on permits). Related to the owners who ran it for over 35 years!!!!!! My family came here in 1955. My mom went to Southern Nevada University (The Rebels! UNLV now)and graduated from one of the three high schools in town! Don't forget Thriftymart where Cox cable is on Rancho. Former Mayor Jan Laverty Jones' family owned that.

Sunworld Airlines - Las Vegas hometown airlines.
Unlimited Las Vegas Layovers were a hit!

I remember when West Hills Bowling Alley was built near Charleston and Decatur. Everyone thought they were crazy building something like that way out in the desert.

Does anyone remember the name of the steak house restaraunt that once sat at the SW corner of Charleston and Las Vegas Blvd ? I think it burned down. What about Foxy's hot dogs downtown? The Guild Theater? Maxine's Bar? The Hootananny Club in the Moulin Rouge?
The Z Bar on the Westside? Radio KENO behind what is now Circus Circus? The Colonial House Hotel? The Tower of Pizza? Dee's Hamburgers on Maryland near Sahara(19 cent hamburgers)? Uncle John's Pancake House on Fremont? The land under the house I live in, west of Gowan and Jones, was an illegal dump. I still dig up fragments of old bottles in the backyard that I may have shot with my .22 in the early 1960's. My brother and I used to carry rifles and shotguns down the streets here to get to the desert and nobody thought anything of it. If anyone was seen doing that today you could expect the SWAT team to show up.

I bought the Daydream Ranch in 1977, enlarged it, improved it, and we had lots of fun. We had rodeos, concerts, steakhouse and saloon, vollyball, swimming, hayrides and bar-b-ques, horseback riding, stables, gaming, pony express races, parties galore, and we never closed. Some pictures and expansion plans are at www.DaydreamRanch.com and we hope to get more to post. Staff included Bill, Kris, Marlene, KR, Kevin, Kimmie, Dennis, Carol, Laurie, Debra, Donnie, Joe, & many more.

I've been here since '49 My parents owned Silver State Printers on Main Just South of Charleston. My uncle was Gen Mgr of Review journal until Reynold's took over in early 60's. I could tell some stories for sure. photos Like Don English are good memories. We were old Family friends. His Wife Flo, and Daughter Sally used to come over and play all the time when we were kids. Many of these photo's I see were photos I worked with as originals in the Print shop. Anyway does anyone remember out at Nellis & Boulder There was an old Water tower. in the 50's they built a Disneyland type place called "Funland" after it went out of business they started the Desert Hill development in the early 60's. and the 1st 7-11 in Vegas was built on the corner of Bldr and Nellis (it was really only open from 7-11). Mike's 5th street liquors, Mikes market, what was the name of the market on Main & Charleston which became Morgan Pest control? By buddy lived upstairs in the apartment there. Oh and Bell Variety on East Fremont. who could forget. The Guild and the Palace were the same theater but I forget which was first. What was the underground bar/dining room on 2nd & Fremont next to Cecil Lynch's place? BTW that old car lot where the stratosphere is now, was originally old man Todkill's place. Todkill Lincoln Mercury, (He was builder and original owner of Misty Place. he sold the car lot to Frankie Newman who sold Sunbeams and Alpine car's. then it was a Gas station for Clark county sheriff's dept and the Lav Vegas Police dept.'s gas station was on 11th & Stewart with the old LTR bus depot. There was a Denny's where the coin castle is in the late 60's next to Sal Sagev (pronounced Sal sageee for those who don't know) now Golden Gate. Mr Pipes across from White Cross on Oaky and LVBS, He moved in the Boulevard Mall when it opened. Harris Cashman Photography besides having photo girls in all the shows also had a string of film & camera places. Seven-up Bottling and Gail's bread on Charleston just west of the underpass. next to it was Desert Nursery. when the freeway came in George & Esther Koier moved the Nursery out on rancho rd. which is now the Zoological Park. I don't remember all the stores in the Charleston mall but I do remember Sybl's Chocolates, Sybil was dating Gene Colton an editor for the RJ. there was Jacks Jr. Bootery next to Ted Vesley's place across Charleston I don't think Maycayo was there yet. but the best Mexican food was El Cholos on 5th st. They moved out on Paradise and Alpine Village bought them out when they moved closer into town. that old teenbeat club became the first building that Desert Research Institute used..

One of the stores in the Charleston Mall was the Lullaby shop - kids clothes and toys. There was also a hobby shop that might have been named just that. Wilson's house of Suede and Leather in the 70's. OF course Woolco and the Fox Theater. There was a bakery right outside the entrance by the Pizza den that made black and white cookies. Does anyone remember Blackett's taco stand on Charleston? RIght up by the Spudnut with the big donut sign?

Charleston heights bowl, Westhill Lanes, Club Rock, Calamity Jane's nightclub, The Side Pocket pool hall, Old Vegas, Wet & Wild, Scandia, The Drum Shoppe (Mahoney's), Pinky's...Just a few of my favs.
1970- present (I'm born & raised)

Great site! Thanks you.

Anyone remember a place called The Pop Shop. It is a very early memory of mine taking soda bottles in to exchange for full ones with my dad. The location of the one we went to was on eastern , just south of Owens. It sat in a small building out in the parking lot from Wonder World. Wonder World as great to with the big candy counter when you walked in and the few little shops in the hallway that connected Wonder World to the grocery store to the north.

Loved the Arcade in Zodys on Civic Center and Lake Mead as a kid.

Fond memories of my grandma taking me to Vegas Village, breakfast at Sambos, shopping at Grand Central, Woolworths, Woolco, Ardans.

I miss the old Vegas.

I arrived in Las Vegas in 76' It was a great place back then, it had an out West feel compared to the Mid-West metropolis I left. How about the A&W's on Civic center south of Lake Mead Blvd, Hung out in North Las Vegas where I met my wife to be, she was 20 and I was 19, we're still married! Bucks War Surplus off of Nellis Blvd, had the Apollo Command Module sitting out in the back 40 of his property,it now sits on Hammegrens house. Odyssey Records was a cool record store off of Las Vegas Blvd and Oakey for vinyl records (my wife worked there.) Flamingo dead ended at the I-15 going West Bound. Furr's Cafeteria was a great food spot on Sahara to take your family. North Las Vegas Airport was literally in the middle of nowhere. The Cinerama Theatre which later became a Church, sat off on vacant land East of Paradise. If you watch the Gauntlet with Clint Eastwood you can see that Cinerama and off into the distance there is Caesars palace with a tower crane building the Flamingo Hilton tower coming about 3 stories up out of the ground. Any one remember the Globemaster aircraft that sat on the Northwest Corner of MCarran Airport? It was going to be a restaurant but never "got off the ground" with the plan to develop it. My memories of Las Vegas was a lot of open land and empty lots in between what was here. You would see a lot of cowboys on horseback riding along lake Mead Blvd. Craig road was only two lanes with just a divided stripe and only one or two houses from Nellis all the way to the 95 and that was all there was out there. Sam's town was a marsh and traveling up Lamb Blvd towards Charleston was more of the same type marshland. Vegas had practically nothing past Rainbow and St Rose Pkwy was a long lonely drive from I-15 to Henderson and there was nothing out there either. Driving down the Strip afforded views of all of the surrounding mountains and it was open vistas in between the Dunes, Aladdin, Caesars and similar developed properties. Speaking of Caesars Palace; it was yet to forge into Can-Am racing and it's Green Night lighting was a spectacle for the Strip. Freemont was open and still had the Old Vegas charm and Union Plaza had a fountain where the Restaurant Dome now sits. Taking the I-15 Northbound to Downtown forced you to exit onto Las Vegas Blvd as the 95 was yet to be constructed and you were forced to Exit onto Las Vegas Blvd while the 95 was a ramp that hung out into space pointing toward its future direction to the East. Yes, Vegas was a different time and place back then, A lot of the places I've read about here were places I visited and spent time at too. There was a Stuckey's out in Henderson and speaking of Henderson; Green valley was only a future place yet to be built as was Summerlin, Southern Highlands and practically everything else that is Las Vegas today.

So many I could add, but I'm going to mention just 10:

1. Big Dipper Ice Cream (Charleston & Decatur)
2. Noogles (various locations)
3. Video Tyme (various locations)
4. Moni Video (Washington & Decatur)
5. BR Video (Durango & Sahara)
6. King Video (Rainbow & Oakey)
7. Original Chuck E. Cheese (Vegas & Decatur)
8. Pistol Pete's Pizza (Alta & Decatur/Trop. & Pecos)
9. Valley Auto Upholstry
10. Dreamwell Comics (Charleston & Upland)

I remember Red rock and the Huntridge movie theaters. Anyone remember going to concerts at The Ice Palace? KENO radio or kluc. Used to cruise Fremont St too.

A few more oldies: Downtown - Casbar Lounge, Chances R Bar, Cinnabar, Cosmo's Underground, Rainbow Hotel, Squires Park where LV City Fire Station 1 is now, Riviera Furniture, Truly Nolan Pest with the ant on top of the building on Charleston & 1 Street, S.P.D. Office Supply with the pencil sign, Eve's Cocktails, Bank Club, Bob Glinsky Motors (old Datson Dealer); Strip - Alibi Room, Bonanza Casino, Dan's Royal Flush Casino, Hacienda Casino, Pal Joey's, Reata Casino, Silver City Casino, Wet N Wild, and Yellow Submarine. Off Strip - "The Guppy" (airplane), Coachman's, Jubilation, Library Restaurant, the Gold Factory Jewelery, San Remo Hotel Casino, Town Pump, Treasury Casino, International Hotel, Landmark Hotel, Mayfair Shopping Center, New York Bagels and Office Bar (original) next door, Paradise Lounge (Paradise and Flamingo) Via Veneto, Gill Mill, Guys and Dolls, Moby Grape, Steiner's Cleaners, Bank of Las Vegas, Bonanza Airlines, Hughes Air West, Valley Times Newspaper, Sunland Motors(VW Dealer), Broth Handle, Der Weinerschnitzel, Garcia's Mexican Restaurant, Port Tack, Starboard Tack, Schuleman Meats, Hudson's Cleaners, New York Meats & Provisions, are few that I think of that might be added to this list.

In Las Vegas since 1967.

Anyone remember the name of the root beer drive-in on Charleston just west of the freeway?

TootleVision

Great site! I lived in Vegas during all of '68 stationed at Nellis and fell in love with the area. Came back for 2 years 72-74; lived off Charleston at 421 Lehman off Charleston Blvd when Bill Ladd's Silver Dollar Saloon and Pete Findley Olds and Montgomery
wards were near the corner of Eastern and Charleston.
MAN was Las Vegas neat in the 60's and 70's! Remember accidently going into the Red Barn gay bar in '68 and a drop dead gorgeous Tropicana showgirl casually reached over from the next bar stool and grabbed my....well, you know and said "don't u know this is a gay bar"? And i said "if all the ladies are as friendly as you there's some straight girls in here too". I worked as a dj air personality for the old KVEG 970 AM and 92.1 FM during both stints in Vegas; who remembers KVEGas radio with Bat Henderson and Hal Blu (both have passed on) and Johnny Gunn, Cactus Jack, and Red Ryder. Red worked lights at Caeser's Palace and i watched Sinatra from his light booth in '68. Vegas in the 60's and 70's was so casual compared to now. Nobody locked their cars; most folks left the keys in (the "boys" from the "East" made sure petty crime stayed out of Vegas--don't wanna scare the tourists off). I remember Waylon Jennings in 1968 at the Golden Nugget's then tiny lounge pulling huge crowds and playing blackjack between his sets. I worked for KRAM AM Country Radio and on air at the old KVVU TV 5 in Henderson when Charlie Vanda owned it (before Johnny Carson bought in during the 70's). Also i worked for KBMI AM when it was rock n roll owned by WMEX Boston with a dj who did an on air bit with Cornelius the Beautiful Green Frog and equipment so duct tape and paper clip if you walked on a certain spot near the control board your foot would short out the mic cord run under the carpet! Anyone remember Sweet Duke Hoover on KTOO Radio when Henderson was maybe 3000 people? An airman at Nellis who roomed with me bought a small 60 by 90 lot across from TV 5 on Boulder Highway in '68 for $15,000 and borrowed the money--we laughed at him. We didn't laugh when 10 years later i heard he sold the lot which had been a salvage car parts yard, for over a MILLION dollars! (not sure what's there now). There was literally NOTHING between Nellis Bldvd. and Henderson in 1968 and thru Sep. 74 when i left Vegas. Who remembers Panorama tourist magazine and Hal Blu and Joan Guertin's country music column? Who can remember when Legendary country steel player Ralph Mooney was in the house bands at the Lariat Club on Industrial and the Nashville Nevada on boulder highway---i ran the board weekends at KVEG and would switch to live remotes at both clubs Saturday and Sunday nights. Remember hearing both Merle Haggard and Wynn Stewart sing over our air (Wynn worked as a dj at KVEG and i interviewed him on air in '72--great gentleman; country LEGEND).
Anyone remember Don Gilday who flew for Hughes Airwest and owned 102FM KRGN from 1971 to 1978 as well as Gilday Realty at 953 E. Sahara? My best Vegas memory: when Hal Blu my co worker at these great stations got me seats right next to the stage for Elvis at the Hilton by CALLING BARON HILTON himself to arrange it--how great Elvis was in August '72....and how dumbfounded i was when Hal said "keep it to yourself but Elvis is a junkie--he takes a hundred uppers and downers divided up 3 times a day--housekeepers at the Hilton told me". And I DID keep it to myself---there was a loyalty and honor in the Old Las Vegas....it was called "juice"; it was who you knew and took care of and they took care of you. Just a fascinating place. Oh by the way in April '73 when i bought my home in what's now a near ghetto neighborhood there on Lehman Street...my home cost me $18,500. It would now be worth around $250,000. Yup, give me the "old" Vegas anytime....you'll never see a town that had that combination of small town friendly and world class cosmopolitan again, EVER. Oh, and before i go gotta pass on the hysterically bad judgement made by the late Dennis Diamond of KVEG Radio when i told him in '74 that i'd met and really liked the new Golden Nugget owner Steve Wynn.. Dennis' sage wisdom "ah, he won't amount to much or be around long". Yeah, right big D. And a shout out to any family of the late Jerry Roy who managed KENO Radio where i worked in '74 when the station was at 4660 S. Decatur surrounded for 2 miles by nothing but desert....what a kind decent man (Lotus broadcasting L.A. then owned the station). Thanks for letting me share. I'm at 810-624-2436 in Burton Michigan if any of my radio listeners are still there or remember me. Dan McPhail, age 66, Burton Michigan.